How Place Value Works
Aligned to 5.NBT.A.1 — Common Core State Standards for Mathematics.
What this lesson teaches
In our number system, each place is worth 10 times the place to its right. Moving right instead, each place is worth 1/10 as much. So the same digit means something bigger or smaller depending on where it sits.
Worked example
Look at the number 550. The 5 on the left is in the hundreds place, so it means 500. The 5 on the right is in the tens place, so it means 50. Since 500 = 10 × 50, the left 5 is worth ten times the right 5. Going the other way, 50 is 1/10 of 500.
Practice questions
- In 330, how many times greater is the left 3 than the right 3?
- In 4,400, what is the value of each 4, and how are they related?
- The 7 in 7,000 is worth how many times the 7 in 700?
Watch the lesson
Every lesson comes with a video taught in English and Spanish — the same video the QR code in the printed workbook opens.
▶ Watch this lessonEn español
Cómo funciona el valor posicional
En nuestro sistema de números, cada lugar vale 10 veces el lugar a su derecha. Al moverte a la derecha, cada lugar vale 1/10 de lo anterior. Así, el mismo dígito significa algo mayor o menor según dónde esté.
Ejemplo: Mira el número 550. El 5 de la izquierda está en las centenas, así que significa 500. El 5 de la derecha está en las decenas, así que significa 50. Como 500 = 10 × 50, el 5 de la izquierda vale diez veces el 5 de la derecha. Al revés, 50 es 1/10 de 500.
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